Sean
Nov 21, 2021
‘Before you get started, let’s make one thing clear. Anybody of any background and skill level can contribute to FOSS."
Sean Davis, @bluesabredavis, next week (November 22nd to 29th) @imakefoss.
Interview: https://t.co/RqVEXWIjsT https://t.co/Yqmdtn0GDY
Nov 22, 2021
Please welcome Sean Davis, @bluesabredavis
@Xubuntu Technical Lead and @xfceofficial Core Developer
November 22nd to 29th on @imakefoss
Interview: https://t.co/RqVEXWIjsT
@imakefoss is a Twitter rotation curation account, an interview blog and YouTube channel. https://t.co/hRW8yqnhkh
Nov 22, 2021
Thanks for having me on @imakefoss. I hope you’re ready for an exciting week, I’ve got a lot to talk about! Coming up today: My favorite podcasts and projects I contribute to. Later… 1/2
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Later: design & accessibility, toxicity in FOSS, projects I’m thankful for, money & FOSS, Getting started with FOSS on a weekend, upstream and downstream relationships, and finally great projects and people. 2/2
Nov 22, 2021
Mondays… am I right? I don’t often get time to tackle FOSS projects on Monday, instead spending my mornings prepping for work and my evenings recovering. But I do get to catch up on my favorite podcasts. (sorry for the dupe tweets…) 1/7
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Linux Action News (@LinuxActionNews): “A weekly informed discussion about Linux, open source, and FOSS”. Hosted by @ChrisLAS and @wespayne, this podcast keeps you current with FOSS news in less than 30 minutes a week. 2/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Late Night Linux (@latenightlinux): “A podcast that takes a look at what’s happening with Linux and the wider tech industry. Expect drinking, swearing and strong opinions.” Hosted by @JoeRessington and others, expect a good time. 3/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Linux Unplugged (@LinuxUnplugged): “Your virtual Linux User Group (vLUG) that takes the best attributes of open collaboration and focuses them into a weekly lifestyle show about Linux.” A fun and interesting weekly FOSS conversation. 4/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Rocket (@_RocketFM): “Accelerated Geek Conversation, with hosts Christina Warren (@film_girl), Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) and Simone De Rochefort (@doomquasar), only on Relay FM.” The latest tech and geek news via hilarious conversation. 5/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Security Now (https://t.co/X3fkXXnMsE): Steve Gibson (@SGgrc) and Leo Laporte (@leolaporte) discuss the latest hot topics in security and provide a detailed inside scoop. 6/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Other great shows that I can’t get to every week: Linux for Everyone (@Linux4Everyone), This Week in Linux (@ThisWeekinLinux), Hardware Addicts (https://t.co/uD7GZiDdvQ), and Talk Python Podcast (@TalkPython). 7/7
Nov 22, 2021
While you’re diving deep into some new podcasts, check out some of the projects I contribute to in some capacity. 1/7
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Xubuntu (@Xubuntu) “combines elegance and ease of use”. Xubuntu is Ubuntu with Xfce and much more. A carefully curated set of applications and defaults yields performance, usability, and dependability. It works, and well. 2/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Xfce (@xfceofficial) has come a long way from the “XForms Common Environment” moniker. Xfce is a modern, lightweight, and configurable desktop environment. It has a small but dedicated team building a future-thinking classic desktop. 3/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis elementary OS (@elementary) is “the thoughtful, capable, and ethical replacement for Windows and macOS.” The project is laser-focused on usability and design and works to better the Linux desktop ecosystem with upstream collaboration. 4/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis MenuLibre (https://t.co/StX781C4pZ) is a feature-filled application menu editor for every Linux desktop environment. Add or change the existing menu or add new features like right-click actions or preferred GPU settings. 5/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Catfish (https://t.co/MCnVq55bIF) is a fast and powerful file search utility for Xfce and other desktop environments. Recently, Catfish has added archive file search capabilities, letting you dig deep into your backups. 6/7
Nov 22, 2021
@bluesabredavis Some other recently updated projects include Darkbar (https://t.co/Piy3BjnXvo) and LightDM GTK Greeter (https://t.co/YHyZWFfiqn). 7/7
Nov 23, 2021
Happy Tuesday! Today’s theme is design and accessibility in Linux. What are the current desktop design trends? Who’s leading the charge with accessibility? Before we get started, a thread on my own background… 1/8
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Before coming to Linux, I tinkered with Windows XP. I was fascinated by the theming options presented by the .msstyles system and system-wide icon themes. Both required patching system files but the end result was worth it. 2/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Windows simply wasn’t and for the most part still isn’t consistent, especially once you add third-party applications. And the default theme options were somewhat better than the pre-XP days… but still bad. (Sure, “Silver” was OK.) 3/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis I eventually settled on a shiny interface theme (https://t.co/PJbQoA5iRA) paired with the Tango icons (https://t.co/v0TXjOf3d5). I think I was going for some Linux + Windows Media Center style. 4/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis I even patched 7-Zip to use Tango icons! I was stubborn. While not open source (I patched with a resource editor), I’m pretty sure this was my first community contribution. https://t.co/NroRzyI466 5/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Patching Windows and applications to make applications fit a specific theme was never going to be a sustainable solution. My need for consistency and drive to customize eventually led to me running Linux full time. 6/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Early in the 2000s, I started with KDE. While it was in a pretty good place at the time, there were still issues with consistency. Then I found GNOME with Ubuntu. Adherence to the GNOME HIG and standardized icons made a world of difference. 7/8
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis GTK-based desktops and applications held my attention. Since then, I’ve bounced around between the GNOME, Unity, Xfce, and Pantheon desktop environments. GTK applications just feel more consistent, even across the desktop environments. 8/8
Nov 23, 2021
What does desktop environment design look like in 2021? I compared macOS, Windows, and seven Linux desktop environments for what have been both traditional and controversial new features. 1/12
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis A quick note before I begin. I evaluated these features as default settings in each environment. Many of these environments can be configured to match any of the others, but I wanted to evaluate the standard design language. Most users use defaults. 2/12
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Windows 11 Little consistency, but some patterns… ✅️ Desktop Icons ❌️ Header Bars (for now, MS Store now sports a header bar style) ❌️ Menu Bars ✅️ Status Icons (hidden by default, but appear for context) ✅️ Application Dock ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 3/12 https://t.co/WuHgihUI7h
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis macOS Monterey Image from https://t.co/KLkcmfqvgB ✅️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars ✅️ Menu Bars (Global menu bar) ✅️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 4/12 https://t.co/gyVh6ua9pi
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis GNOME 41 (Fedora 35) ❌️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars ❌️ Menu Bars ❌️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock (in the overview) ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 5/12 https://t.co/LS4EydxPcn
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis KDE 5.23 (KDE Neon) VLC included to show status icon support. ✅️ Desktop Icons ❌️ Header Bars ✅️ Menu Bars (some apps do, some do not) ✅️ Status Icons ❌️ Application Dock ✅️ Hierarchical Apps View 6/12 https://t.co/HTrkEJvLCc
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Xfce 4.16 (xfce-test container) ✅️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars (limited to dialogs) ✅️ Menu Bars ✅️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock ✅️ Hierarchical Apps View 7/12 https://t.co/39UNInuEfv
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis MATE 1.26 (Ubuntu MATE 21.10) ✅️ Desktop Icons ❌️ Header Bars ✅️ Menu Bars ✅️ Status Icons ❌️ Application Dock ✅️ Hierarchical Apps View 8/12 https://t.co/IwqTb3gZAM
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Pantheon (elementary OS 6) ❌️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars ❌️ Menu Bars ❌️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 9/12 https://t.co/cL1gxtk6nq
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis Budgie 10.5.3 (Ubuntu Budgie 21.10) ✅️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars ❌️ Menu Bars ✅️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 10/12 https://t.co/a8IseiaB2m
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis COSMIC (Pop!_OS 21.04) ✅️ Desktop Icons ✅️ Header Bars ❌️ Menu Bars ✅️ Status Icons ✅️ Application Dock ❌️ Hierarchical Apps View 11/12 https://t.co/mxZxzj9EDG
Nov 23, 2021
@bluesabredavis So, what do we have? Header bars are in (6/9). Menu bars are on the way out (4/9). Application menus/pickers have gravitated away from a tiered structure (3/9). Desktop icons (7/9), status icons (7/9), and docks (7/9) are seemingly here to stay. 12/12
Nov 24, 2021
I meant to talk about accessibility in FOSS yesterday but didn’t get home until late. Better late than never! You probably noticed that my background is not #a11y related. Instead, I lean on the professionals. 1/7
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis Accessibility in Linux is good (but could be much better) (Kendell Clark, 2015)
Kendell covers the good and the bad of a11y in Linux, in particular, GNOME on Fedora. 2/7
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis As Kendell mentions in his piece, there doesn’t seem to be much activity in the accessibility space around Linux, and especially not recently. The latest I found on KDE was their 2017 development sprint at Randa. https://t.co/XawQMP1ZHF 3/7
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis https://t.co/2ye6bu5GhO has an Accessibility section that leads to other a11y-related spaces.
On this page, they also show how toolkits like GTK and Qt provide native application support for a11y. 4/7
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis GNOME has some good documentation and guidelines for supporting and improving accessibility in GTK applications (not limited to GNOME). https://t.co/4xjUhcdRKV 5/7
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis More recently (2019), @elementary published an article titled “Accessibility Features Are Just Features”, where they demonstrate how designing with accessibility in mind can benefit all users. https://t.co/oJJBm75o1r 6/7
Nov 24, 2021
@bluesabredavis And finally, at @elementary’s EDW conference this year, @annaecook presented “Making an Accessible App”. https://t.co/Qt65KRLBmq
The presentation is really informative about accessibility needs, guidelines, and best practices. 7/7
Nov 25, 2021
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. Now’s a good time to discuss the bad before we focus on the good. I think toxicity in FOSS comes in three flavors: gatekeeping, FUD, and hostility against developers. 1/7
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis Gatekeeping (hostility against users) is the most common form of toxicity we encounter within FOSS. An “RTFM” response to new (even existing) users helps nobody. It shuts down the conversation and turns users away. Do better. 2/7
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis Spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about projects has poisoned the well for a while. When folks use their platform to perpetuate lies, it’s irresponsible at best. Silence in response to evidence or corrections is worse. 3/7
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis Hostility against developers (from users or other developers) may be the most frustrating. Antagonizing and impatient bug reports and comments, FUD-like social media posts, trolling mailing lists… it all adds up. 4/7
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis Most FOSS developers are providing a free service or product at the cost of their own personal time and equipment. Burnout is real and it’s exacerbated by individuals actively making the experience worse. Like free stuff? Be kind. 5/7
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis It doesn’t take much to contribute good vibes to free software. If you feel attacked or bothered by this thread, reconsider how you’re treating others. Being a jerk to get what you want is going to have the opposite effect. 6/7
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis If, on the other hand, you’re appreciative of the work projects and contributors are doing that improve your life, let them know! You can reverse a bad week with kindness and keep developers motivated. Easy as (pumpkin) pie. 🥧️ 7/7
Nov 25, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃️ to those that celebrate it, and happy Thursday 📅️ to everybody else! Today I’ll be enjoying some family time and posting just a single thread shouting out some projects and people I’m thankful for. 1/9
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis Simon (@simonsteinbeiss), Elizabeth (@pleia2), Stephen (@writer_smk), Yousuf (@jphilipz), and others in the @Xubuntu space that have made contributing to open source a great experience over the years. 2/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @canonical and @ubuntu for making tons of infrastructure free to use and extend. PPAs are easy-to-use repositories that enable collaboration and give derivative Linux projects a solid foundation to build from. 3/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @gnome and @GTKtoolkit for providing a solid foundation and easy-to-understand documentation that enables rich application development. Easy toolkits enable contributors to focus on building their apps. 4/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @system76 for driving the Linux hardware story forward. They produce great-looking machines that support @coreboot_org and give me computer envy. Their list of upstream contributions is equally impressive. https://t.co/2xUNzt1itD 5/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @CodeWeavers, @Steam, @LutrisGaming, and the many contributors that work tirelessly to bring gaming to Linux and are driving Linux adoption way up. 6/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @elementary, @dekuve, @garudalinux, @cutefishos, @linux_deepin, and the numerous other visually-impressive and user-focused Linux distributions that innovate and show off what’s possible with free software. 7/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis @omgubuntu, @gamingonlinux, @Linux4Everyone for their accessible and extensive coverage on various parts of the Linux ecosystem. 8/9
Nov 25, 2021
@bluesabredavis And finally, Andrew Dobbie (@A_Dobbie11) and Aaron Prisk (@AKernelPanic) for their great work in reducing e-waste by repurposing computers with Linux and giving them to schools in need. #TeachSDGs 9/9
Nov 26, 2021
Happy Friday! It’s #BlackFriday, so what better time to talk about money and FOSS? Take a break from consumerism, read about how FOSS projects and developers utilize financial contributions, and support your favorite projects today! 1/12
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis I know what you’re thinking… “Free and open-source software” should be free, it’s in the name! Not so fast. Everything has a cost: web servers, file hosting, development hardware, software tools, time, and on and on. 2/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Developers with their own websites have to pay the bills. I’m less popular than a lot of developers, yet my sites, domains, analytics, and email costs run ~$310 every year. That’s nearly all of the money coming in from my Patreon. 💸️ 3/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Contrast that with a popular distribution like elementary, which had over 137,000 OS 6 downloads back prior to October, and you can only imagine the staggering costs associated. https://t.co/bL1zyTZAiW 4/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Hardware is expensive. Especially right now with the global chip shortage. Developing hardware-specific features like 4K support and fractional scaling, fingerprint authentication, or pro-grade streaming support requires the hardware. 5/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Sometimes a developer can work with hardware owners to improve support. However, this isn’t always the case and isn’t sustainable. If the specialized hardware support needs an update, the developer had to find another owner. 6/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Whether we like to admit it or not, many professionals even within the Linux space still depend on pro-grade (read: not FOSS) tools. These incur numerous costs including subscription fees and even specialized hardware upkeep. 7/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis There’s even legal fees in the FOSS space. Back in 2020, GNOME settled a lawsuit with a patent troll for alleged IP infringement within Shotwell. The community raised $150,000 to defend FOSS against 100 patents.
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis Perhaps the largest unspoken cost of FOSS contribution is time. Opting to work on free software means opting out of time with friends and family, time to work on projects that actually pay, and even time to sleep. 9/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis My own schedule has me waking up daily around 5 AM to check in on FOSS projects and make some headway. I work on FOSS for a couple of hours until it’s time to take a shower, make breakfast, and go to work. 10/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis What can you do to help? If you’ve got some extra money and want to support free software development, consider sending some money to your favorite projects or individual developers. Any amount helps! 11/12
Nov 26, 2021
@bluesabredavis If you’ve enjoyed this journey with me so far, consider supporting me on GitHub, Patreon, or PayPal. Links can found in the support section of my GitHub profile: https://t.co/6VvoJtFEoY 12/12
Nov 27, 2021
Happy Saturday! Are you interested in contributing to FOSS, but never had the time or resources to get started? Weekends are a great opportunity to take the first steps. There’s something for everyone in the thread below. 1/12
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Speak a language other than English? You can help localize your favorite project or Linux distribution. GNOME: https://t.co/pIvMjnqSpf KDE: https://t.co/WKJZ5n2JfO Xfce: https://t.co/e9W8Y5RnXL elementary: https://t.co/nEMWItIHF5 Xubuntu: https://t.co/mrQW0kEtoW 2/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Skilled at writing? Documentation makes projects easier to use for new and existing users alike. GNOME: https://t.co/FvZucI2tnx KDE: https://t.co/WObMvxkpnF Xfce: https://t.co/8cfljrfvQ3 elementary: https://t.co/WKDF3C7YUM Xubuntu: https://t.co/o3DxJLMVZr 3/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Love FOSS? Spread the word about your favorite project and contribute to promotional materials. GNOME: https://t.co/SaKsXzQeVZ KDE: https://t.co/oYtGBGjd6s Xubuntu: https://t.co/ejRAutB8St (More projects need marketing materials! Here’s an opportunity to really step up!) 4/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Cursed with computers? Use your unique skills to report, triage, and recreate bug reports! GNOME: (outdated) https://t.co/W7fSxY5gBZ KDE: https://t.co/Abvo6QWz1Q Xfce: https://t.co/nfncnN8D3O elementary: https://t.co/I4Wri8BVMa Xubuntu: https://t.co/nwM03wFLGs 5/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Enjoy helping others? We need more people like you. Join project chat channels and provide technical support! GNOME: https://t.co/Wv4i8TZusB KDE: https://t.co/D4dbWM0gBf Xfce: https://t.co/5oc4Wrp1vc elementary: https://t.co/WKDF3C7YUM Xubuntu: https://t.co/tDAHzIzsDK 6/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Do you have a knack for artwork or design? Keep free software fresh by sharing your skills! GNOME: https://t.co/sO4hF024FN KDE: https://t.co/yAvaC9KNoT Xfce: https://t.co/DEhKZ221tE elementary: https://t.co/aFfbeO8qSl Xubuntu: https://t.co/EZ4m8wV9p3 7/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Experience with web development? Nearly every project has a web presence that needs help. GNOME: https://t.co/QR1NKnrId2 KDE: https://t.co/YNth5E52PR Xfce: https://t.co/6gajKDwrIz elementary: https://t.co/xaBA5rZayW Xubuntu: https://t.co/v2w0oAWfLP 8/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Want to fix bugs or develop new features? Join in coding on apps, libraries, and the desktop environment! GNOME: https://t.co/RWDgvOpTYV KDE: https://t.co/w8OrA2u0Ne Xfce: https://t.co/3QsUs1NFKh elementary: https://t.co/arpU2jT1Me Xubuntu: https://t.co/4NnBcNNof8 9/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis For everyone! Make free software more inclusive by contributing to accessibility initiatives. GNOME: https://t.co/V0ccVANKZu KDE: https://t.co/GYqIRX2rko AT-SPI: https://t.co/COmDXNl3Tb (If you’ve got some more resources on improving #a11y in Linux, share them here!) 10/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Do you have some extra money? Sponsor FOSS software development and contributors! GNOME: https://t.co/7ci74bonSs KDE: https://t.co/DPaZES8ccW Xfce: https://t.co/x6KGS61ZU2 elementary: https://t.co/zzg98Sv2zz Xubuntu: https://t.co/NHFHKfniad 11/12
Nov 27, 2021
@bluesabredavis Regardless of your background, anybody can get started with contributing to FOSS. There’s always more work to be done and a shortage of contributors, so all contributions are welcome. Find what works best for you and join the fun! 12/12
Nov 28, 2021
It’s nearly time for me to give back the @imakefoss microphone. It’s been a blast talking with everyone this week! Is there anything you’d like to know, or that you’d like me to write about on my blog after I give back the mic?
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 30, 2021
It’s that time. Thanks everyone for sticking around and retweeting my abundance of thoughts! 🙇If you want to keep up with me, follow @bluesabredavis here. Links in the thread for my blog(s) and ways to support me. Catch you on the other side!
- Sean Davis (@bluesabredavis)
Nov 30, 2021
@bluesabredavis For release announcements and other project news, check out my website at https://t.co/WLsshCJI9o
For updates related to my projects, Xfce, and Xubuntu, check out @PlanetBluesabre!
Nov 30, 2021
@bluesabredavis For more opinion and long-form writing, you can subscribe to my Medium blog: https://t.co/l6MN2rNc2v
There’s not much there yet, but soon… 😉
Nov 30, 2021
@bluesabredavis And finally, if you want to sponsor my early morning (and sometimes late night) code jam sessions, you can find that at GitHub and Patreon!
https://t.co/tA0xmx2Tc7 https://t.co/GYYVwD5qdt
Thanks again for all your support!